2 Answers
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You need an egress window in any bedroom. The purpose is to provide an alternate point of exit from inside a bedroom in the event of an emergency. Having an exterior door located nearby but still outside of the bedroom will not qualify. If the bedroom doorway is blocked, the occupant still cannot exit the room.

This is correct. Every bedroom now has to have windows as egress, unless there is a door to the outside. Doors, even it just a short distance to another egress do not qualify. Older structures, existing usage etc can get variances, by local code enforcement.
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shirlock homesApr 11 '11 at 21:58

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In addition to the mere presence of a second means of egress, most places also require a certain amount of headroom, minimum dimensions, electrical connections, window size, and that the door to the room open into a hallway for a room to be used as a bedroom. And for real estate listings, you'll probably need a closet. Check with your local building inspector so you have all of the requirements in mind before finalizing your plans.
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richardtallentApr 14 '11 at 4:23

I don't have an answer based on any existing building code other then to relay my experience dealing with my attic remodel.

I think the point the egress route is a secondary exit if the primary (door) is blocked due to smoke/fire. I would imagine if your door to the outside is in a different location than the stairway to the upstairs (main floor) you may be OK. If it is not "up to code" you may be able to work with your local building department/fire marshal.

Our attic we turned into a bedroom only had 1 exit (the main stairway) and the only accessable windows that you could crawl out of where three stories above the ground (too far the jump, at least that is what the fire marshal said). However we filed (and received) a variance from the city and on the condition we installed inteconnected smoke detecotors on all the floors.